The present invention relates, in general, to an electric machine, and more particularly to a device for connecting winding leads of a winding system of an electric machine.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
Electric machines typically include a stator in the form of a stator core of stacked laminations. The stator core can have a star-shaped configuration and has slots for placement of at least one winding system constructed through tooth coil technology or exciter coil technology, involving a plurality of coil bobbins placed in the radial slots of the stator core, with each of the coil bobbins including an exciter coil winding of the winding system. To connect the individual coil windings, a circuit board is attached to an end surface of the end winding of the stator. Such a construction is disclosed in German patent publication no. DE 19 303 59. Depending on the type of winding system used, the circuit board is formed with feedthroughs for passage of the winding leads of the coil windings and their subsequent soldering to the circuit board.
The arrangement of the circuit board to the end surface of the stator suffers many shortcomings. The axial dimension of the electric machine is enlarged. Due to the circular configuration and the typical limitation of the diameter of the circuit board when attached to the radial dimension of the stator, the layout of the printed circuit wirings on the circuit board becomes progressively more complex, when the number of coil windings increases. Moreover, as the winding leads cannot be easily fixed in axial direction, the assembly of the electric machine becomes even more complicated and expensive.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved electric machine to obviate prior art shortcomings and to allow simple and space-saving wiring of the winding system.